44-year-old eager for club to “move forward together again, with ambition and a clear sense of purpose”
Michael Carrick has been confirmed as Manchester United’s permanent head coach until 2028 after guiding the club back into the Champions League during a five-month spell as interim manager.
United announced that the 44-year-old has signed a long-term deal after overseeing a mid-season revival that lifted the club from sixth place to a guaranteed third-place finish and a return to Europe’s top competition.
Carrick took over in January following Ruben Amorim’s departure and won 11 of his 16 matches in charge, beginning with consecutive victories against Manchester City and Arsenal. There were also significant wins over Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea as United recovered from a difficult first half of the campaign.
The former midfielder spent 12 years at Old Trafford as a player and previously served as assistant under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before a brief interim spell in 2021. His candidacy for the permanent role was backed by football director Jason Wilcox and approved by Sir Jim Ratcliffe after being assessed against alternative candidates.
United’s hierarchy were also encouraged by Carrick’s influence away from the pitch. The dressing room responded positively to his appointment and standards at Carrington were said to have improved during his tenure.
The club are now expected to strengthen the squad ahead of a return to Champions League football, with midfield reinforcement among the priorities.
Carrick said: “Throughout the past five months, this group of players have shown they can reach the standards of resilience, togetherness and determination that we demand here.
“Now it’s time to move forward together again, with ambition and a clear sense of purpose. Manchester United and our incredible supporters deserve to be challenging for the biggest honours again.”
